The New York Times bestselling author of Otherwise Engaged and The Mystery Woman presents an all-new novel of intrigue and murder set against the backdrop of Victorian London.
 
The Kern Secretarial Agency provides reliable professional services to its wealthy clientele, and Anne Clifton was one of the finest young women in Ursula Kern’s employ. But Miss Clifton has met an untimely end—and Ursula is convinced it was not due to natural causes.
 
Bent on justice, Ursula hatches a plan: take Anne’s place as stenographer to the reclusive poet Valerie, Lady Fulbrook. There are dark rumors about Lord Fulbrook, and his gloomy mansion in Mapstone Square seems the logical starting point for an undercover investigation.
 
Archaeologist and adventurer Slater Roxton thinks Mrs. Kern is off her head to meddle in such dangerous business. But if this mysterious widowed beauty insists on stirring the pot, Slater intends to remain close by as they venture into the darker side of polite society and a den of iniquity called the Olympus Club. Together they must reveal the identity of a killer—and to achieve their goal they may need to reveal their deepest secrets to each other as well...

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings’s grand house. Louisa never saw it coming.…

Of course, Anthony Stalbridge couldn’t possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was an act of desperation, meant to distract the armed guard who was about to catch the pair in a place they most definitely did not belong. After all, in her dull maroon gown and gold-rimmed spectacles, Louisa Bryce was no man’s idea of an alluring female. Clearly, the only thing a catch like Anthony Stalbridge had in common with a wallflower like Louisa was a passionate interest in the private affairs of Mr. Hastings - a prominent member of Society whom they both suspect of hiding terrible secrets. Now, thrown into each other’s arms by their ruse, Anthony and Louisa are united in their efforts to find the truth.

Each has a personal reason for the quest. Months earlier, Anthony’s fiancée threw herself into the Thames—or at least, that is the version whispered in London’s social circles. Anthony believes someone else may have had a hand in her death—and a murderous one at that. Louisa, whose own identity is shrouded in layers of mystery, is convinced that Hastings has a connection to a notorious brothel. When Anthony successfully cracks Hastings’s hidden safe and discovers highly incriminating evidence, it appears that both their instincts were correct.

But Hastings is hiding far more than jewels and ledger books. Bringing him to justice will be more perilous than Louisa and Anthony anticipate—and their partnership will be more heated than either expects. For the two share a thrilling attraction to danger, and it is not only Anthony’s curiosity that Louisa arouses.

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings’s grand house. Louisa never saw it coming.…

Of course, Anthony Stalbridge couldn’t possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was an act of desperation, meant to distract the armed guard who was about to catch the pair in a place they most definitely did not belong. After all, in her dull maroon gown and gold-rimmed spectacles, Louisa Bryce was no man’s idea of an alluring female. Clearly, the only thing a catch like Anthony Stalbridge had in common with a wallflower like Louisa was a passionate interest in the private affairs of Mr. Hastings - a prominent member of Society whom they both suspect of hiding terrible secrets. Now, thrown into each other’s arms by their ruse, Anthony and Louisa are united in their efforts to find the truth.

Each has a personal reason for the quest. Months earlier, Anthony’s fiancée threw herself into the Thames—or at least, that is the version whispered in London’s social circles. Anthony believes someone else may have had a hand in her death—and a murderous one at that. Louisa, whose own identity is shrouded in layers of mystery, is convinced that Hastings has a connection to a notorious brothel. When Anthony successfully cracks Hastings’s hidden safe and discovers highly incriminating evidence, it appears that both their instincts were correct.

But Hastings is hiding far more than jewels and ledger books. Bringing him to justice will be more perilous than Louisa and Anthony anticipate—and their partnership will be more heated than either expects. For the two share a thrilling attraction to danger, and it is not only Anthony’s curiosity that Louisa arouses.

At sixteen Phoebe Layton had imagined that Gabriel Banner was a brave and valiant knight, a noble-hearted hero born to rescue ladies in distress. Which was why, eight years later, when she desperately needed help to carry out a vital quest she could think of no one more suited to the job than Gabriel.But when she lures her shining knight to a lonely midnight rendezvous, Phoebe finds herself sparring with a dangerously desirable man who is nothing like the hero of her dreams, and when he sweeps her into a torrid – and blatantly unchivalrous – embrace, she can’t help but fear that she’s made a dreadful mistake. It’s a kiss that will seal Phoebe’s fate. For now the exacting Earl of Wylde has a quest of his own: to possess the most intriguing, impulsive, outrageous female he has ever met…even if he has to slay a dragon to do it.

Augusta Ballinger was quite sure that it was all a dreadful mistake. The chillingly pompous and dangerously disturbing Earl of Graystone could not possibly wish to marry her. Why, it was rumored that his chosen bride must be a veritable model of virtue. And everyone knew that Augusta, as the last of the wild, reckless Northumberland Ballingers, was a woman who could not be bothered by society’s rules.

That was why the spirited beauty had planned a midnight encounter to warn the earl off, to convince him that she would make him a very poor wife indeed. But when she crawled in through his darkened study window, Augusta only succeeded in strengthening Harry’s resolve: to kiss the laughter from those honeyed lips and teach this maddening miss to behave! How could he possibly know that it was he who was in for a lesson…as his brazen fiancée set out to win his heart—and an old and clever enemy stepped in to threaten their love, their honor, and their very lives?

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings’s grand house. Louisa never saw it coming. . . .Of course, Anthony Stalbridge couldn’t possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was an act of desperation, meant to distract the armed guard who was about to catch the pair in a place they most definitely did not belong. After all, in her dull maroon gown and gold-rimmed spectacles, Louisa Bryce was no man’s idea of an alluring female. Clearly, the only thing a catch like Anthony Stalbridge had in common with a wallflower like Louisa was a passionate interest in the private affairs of Mr. Hastings - a prominent member of Society whom they both suspect of hiding terrible secrets. Now, thrown into each other’s arms by their ruse, Anthony and Louisa are united in their efforts to find the truth.Each has a personal reason for the quest. Months earlier, Anthony’s fiancée threw herself into the Thames - or at least, that is the version whispered in London’s social circles. Anthony believes someone else may have had a hand in her death - and a murderous one at that. Louisa, whose own identity is shrouded in layers of mystery, is convinced that Hastings has a connection to a notorious brothel. When Anthony successfully cracks Hastings’s hidden safe and discovers highly incriminating evidence, it appears that both their instincts were correct.But Hastings is hiding far more than jewels and ledger books. Bringing him to justice will be more perilous than Louisa and Anthony anticipate - and their partnership will be more heated than either expects. For the two share a thrilling attraction to danger, and it is not only Anthony’s curiosity that Louisa arouses.

In financial straits and on a sure path to spinsterhood, Venetia Milton thought her stay at the remote, ramshackle Arcane House, far from society’s prying eyes, would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engineer her own ravishment. She was there to photograph the relics and artifacts collected by a highly secretive organization, founded two centuries earlier by an eccentric alchemist. And the alchemist’s descendant—her employer, Mr. Gabriel Jones - had the eyes of a sorcerer….

After a night to remember, Venetia is prepared to cherish the memories of her romantic encounter and move on, but she is shattered when, shortly after their night together, she reads of Jones’s death in the papers. As a private tribute to her one-time lover, she adopts the name “Mrs. Jones” and the guise of a respectable widow, and embarks on a new career as a fashionable photographer in London, where her unique ability to “see” beyond her subjects and capture that quality in her photography makes her photographs highly prized.

But her romantic whim causes unexpected trouble. For one thing, Mr. Jones is about to stride, living and breathing, back into her life. And the bonds that tie them together include more than just the memory of passion; Venetia’s special “double vision” has caught the attention of someone Mr. Jones is tracking—someone who will go to any lengths, even murder, to possess an ancient, extraordinary secret that has been lost for centuries. Someone who believes that as the “wife” of Mr. Jones, Venetia is the key.

Now, as she introduces Gabriel about town as her miraculously back-from-the-dead “husband,” Venetia must join him in a perilous quest to track down a dangerous opponent who manages to stay one step ahead. As they explore the darker, wilder underbelly of the modern, scientific Victorian world, they must see through society’s illusions—or this time, Gabriel Jones may not be coming from the dead, and neither may Mrs. Jones.

The new Ladies of Lantern Street novel from Amanda Quick explores the crimes, passions, and paranormal secrets of Victorian London.Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission — and with a secret past — and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball — and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea — and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness — a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .

Novelist and professional companion Evangeline Ames has rented a cottage in the outskirts of Little Dixby, far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby Crystal Gardens, she finds some pleasurable diversion in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety.

Lucas Sebastian has never been one to ignore a lady in danger, even if she is trespassing on his property. Quickly disposing of her would-be assassin, he insists they keep the matter private. There is plenty of whispering about him already, with rumors of treasure buried under his garden, and occult botanical experiments performed by his uncle—who died of mysterious causes.

Immediately sensing each other’s psychic talents, as well as their mutual desire, Lucas and Evangeline find themselves with an even more pressing concern. Whoever tried to have her killed will try again. But who would want her dead?

With Evangeline’s skill for detection, and Lucas’s sense of the criminal mind, they soon discover that they share a common enemy. And as the dangerous energy emanating from Crystal Gardens grows stronger, they realize that to survive they must unearth what has been buried for too long.

The new Ladies of Lantern Street novel from Amanda Quick explores the crimes, passions, and paranormal secrets of Victorian London.Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission — and with a secret past — and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball — and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea — and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness — a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .

In financial straits and on a sure path to spinsterhood, Venetia Milton thought her stay at the remote, ramshackle Arcane House, far from society’s prying eyes, would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engineer her own ravishment. She was there to photograph the relics and artifacts collected by a highly secretive organization, founded two centuries earlier by an eccentric alchemist. And the alchemist’s descendant - her employer, Mr. Gabriel Jones - had the eyes of a sorcerer . . .After a night to remember, Venetia is prepared to cherish the memories of her romantic encounter and move on, but she is shattered when, shortly after their night together, she reads of Jones’s death in the papers. As a private tribute to her one-time lover, she adopts the name “Mrs. Jones” and the guise of a respectable widow, and embarks on a new career as a fashionable photographer in London, where her unique ability to “see” beyond her subjects and capture that quality in her photography makes her photographs highly prized.But her romantic whim causes unexpected trouble. For one thing, Mr. Jones is about to stride, living and breathing, back into her life. And the bonds that tie them together include more than just the memory of passion; Venetia’s special “double vision” has caught the attention of someone Mr. Jones is tracking - someone who will go to any lengths, even murder, to possess an ancient, extraordinary secret that has been lost for centuries. Someone who believes that as the “wife” of Mr. Jones, Venetia is the key.Now, as she introduces Gabriel about town as her miraculously back-from-the-dead “husband,” Venetia must join him in a perilous quest to track down a dangerous opponent who manages to stay one step ahead. As they explore the darker, wilder underbelly of the modern, scientific Victorian world, they must see through society’s illusions - or this time, Gabriel Jones may not be coming from the dead, and neither may Mrs. Jones.

Virginia Dean wakes at midnight beside a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand and no memory of the evening’s events. Dark energy, emanating from the mirrors lining the room, overpowers her senses. With no apparent way in or out, she’s rescued by a man she’s met only once before, but won’t soon forget. . . .Owen Sweetwater inherited his family’s talent for hunting the psychical monsters who prey on London’s women and children, and his investigation into the deaths of two glass-readers has led him here. The high-society types of the exclusive Arcane Society would consider Virginia an illusionist, a charlatan, even a criminal. But Owen knows better. Virginia’s powers are real — and so is the power she exerts over him simply with her presence. And if her abilities can be relied upon in the midst of great danger, they just might be the key to his investigation.

The new Ladies of Lantern Street novel from Amanda Quick explores the crimes, passions, and paranormal secrets of Victorian London.Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission — and with a secret past — and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball — and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea — and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness — a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .

The Arcane Society was born in turmoil, when the friendship of its two founders evolved into a fierce rivalry. Nicholas Winters’s efforts led to the creation of a device of unknown powers called the Burning Lamp. Each generation, the Winters man who inherits it is destined to develop multiple talents — and the curse of madness.Plagued by hallucinations and nightmares, the notorious crime lord Griffin Winters is convinced he has been struck with the Winters Curse. But even as he arranges a meeting with the mysterious Adelaide Pyne, he has no idea how closely their fates are bound, for she holds the missing lamp in her possession.Their dangerous psychical experiment makes them the target of forces both inside and outside the Arcane Society. And though desire strengthens their power, their different lives will keep them apart — if death doesn’t take them together.

Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, Lucinda Bromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society, tending her beloved plants—and occasionally consulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanist possesses a unique talent: she can detect almost any type of poison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanical kingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. At the murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing a very rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimen exists in all of England—and it was stolen from her conservatory just last month.

To keep her name out of the investigation and to find the murderer, Lucinda hires a fellow Arcane Society member. Caleb Jones runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant of the founder of the Society, he is very good at protecting its secrets—and frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately, Lucinda senses both a raw power and undeniable intensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleb and Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracy that can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society—and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into the depths of his own tortured soul.…

The new Ladies of Lantern Street novel from Amanda Quick explores the crimes, passions, and paranormal secrets of Victorian London.Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission — and with a secret past — and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball — and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea — and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness — a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .